Glass-teeming apparatus.



NIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. CRUIKSHANK, OF OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA.

GLASS-TEEMING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,086, dated January15, 1901.

Application filed May 17, 1900. Serial No, 16,993. (No model.)

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is asectional side elevation of my im proved apparatus in position above thetable for rolling plate-glass, and Fig. 2 is a crosssection taken justabove the top of the pot.

My invention relates to the teeming of glass from pots upon the tablewhere the glass is rolled into sheets or plates, and is designed toprovide improved power-actuated mechanism by which the hand laborheretofore necessary for this step is done away with.

In the drawings, 2 represents a car movable upon a track 3 and havingmounted thereon an inclined crane 4, provided with a hoisting-chainextending from drum 5 over the top puileys 6 and thence down to the bail7 of the pot-carrying tongs 8. This bail is socured to trunnions 9 on afixed arm 10 of the tongs, the other arms 11 11 of the tongs beingpivoted to the main arm and held in position by clamps 12, embracing thearms. The rear wheels of the car 2 are provided with wide flanges whichact as counterweights to balance the pot and mechanism. Struts 13 13 aresecured to bearings surrounding the trunnions of the main arm of thetongs and at the rear are pivoted about a common shaft 14:, whichcarries a sprocket wheel or sheave 15, from which a chain or ropeextends over a large sprocket wheel or sheave l6, keyed or otherwisefastened to the main arm of the tongs, the chain passing over aguide-wheel 17 in the lower portion of its path. The shaft l4c hasclutch connection with a sleeve carrying a toothed wheel 18, meshingwith a pi nion 20 upon a shaft to which the rotating armature of anelectric motor is secured, this shaft preferably havinga friction brake.The motor is controlled by the usual rheostat or controller 22.

The drn m 5, upon which is wound the hoisting-chain, hasa shaft providedwith a toothed Wheel 23, intermeshing with a pinion 24 upon shaft 25,having wheel 26 intermeshing with pinion 27 upon the shaft 28. The shaft28 is provided with suitable actuating levers or handles 29 and with abrake-wheel 30, by which the pot maybe held at any elevation to which itis moved.

The usual casting-table 31 is used, having the roller 32, actuated fromshaft 33, provided with a drum and train of gears and having chainconnection with the roller to draw it over the table.

In operating my apparatus the pot is taken from the melting-furnace bysuitable means and deposited convenient to the table, where theteeming-tongs are placed around it and clamped, as shown. The tongs andpot are then raised to the proper elevation and the truck is moved alongto the proper position opposite the table. The electric motor then beingactuated through any suitable source of electrical energy turns thetongs and the pot held therein and holds it in the desired position bythe friction-brake and teems or pours the hot glass upon the table.While the glass is being thus teeined, the truck is moved transverselyof the table, so as to evenly distribute the glass upon this table. Whennear the far side of the table, the motor is reversed, and the tongscarrying the pot, aided by gravity, tilt back suddenly into the normalposition. In raising or lowering the pot upon the crane the clutchconnection with the motor is disconnected to prevent any turning of thepot during such lifting or lowering. In removing the pot from the tongsit is lowered upon a raised stand or plattorm, which allows theactuating-wheel to pass down upon one side of it.

The advantages of my invention result from the use of an electric motorhaving actuating connections forturning the tongs to teem the glass,since the operation is thereby under the complete control of theattendant, who without any manual labor can tilt the pot to any desiredposition or stop the teeming at any desired moment, and may thus havethe operation under perfect control without the use of men at the leverends 34 of the teeming-tongs. This teeming operation has heretoforecalled for a high class of skilled labor, as at least one of the teemersmust possess large experience in order to get the proper distributionand properly control the flow. By my invention'I dispense with thishighlyskilled operator and also several other attendants, the Wholeoperation being under the charge of one man.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the motor, themounting and carrying of the tongs or the clamping device, and theactuating connections withconnection with the wheel; substantially as 25out departing from my invention.

1. The combination with tongs arranged to clamp a potof glass therein,of a supportingbail connected with the tongs, means to raise and lowerthe same, and an electric motor having actuating connections with thetongs arranged to turn them; substantially as described.

2. In glass-teeming apparatus, the combination with tongs arranged tohold a pot of glass, of a wheel secured to one arm of the tongs,mechanism for raising and lowering the tongs, and an electric motorhaving chain tially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES W. ORUIKSI-IANK.

Witnesses:

T. W. BAKEWELL, CHAS. O. BITTNER.

